Photographic-printing machine.



E. SCHNEIDER.

PHOTOGEAPHIG PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DB0. a, 1909.

1,031,820. Patented July 9, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, Q Livi/Leon @o E. SCHNEIDER.

PHOTOGRAPHE PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO. s, 1909.

Patented July 9, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. SCHNEIDER.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION EILED DEC. 3, 1909.

Patented July 9, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I l l I l I l l I |J E. SGHNEDER.. PHOTOGRAPHIGPRINTINGMACHINE.

APPLICATION EILED DBG. 3, 1909.

Patented July 9, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

E. SCHNEIDER.

PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED DBG. 3, 1909.

Patented July 9, 1912.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

ESO/weide@ (In uc ll-l'oc @gud/14.4 lformmJd 75m fai, 6441A MM 30 elevation.

EBEBHARD seHNEInEE, or NEW YQRK, N. Y.

rHoToGEAPHIc-PRIINTING naomi).

Loanazo.4

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that LEBERHARD SCHNEIDER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in t-he count-y and State of eW York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic-Printing Machines of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.-

This invention relates to photographic printing machines for printing positive moving picture films from negatives, and its chief object is to provide an improved machine for this purpose whereby the prlnting of the successive pictures or photo 1.5 graphic images can be effected rapidly and with the utmost precision.

To this and other ends the invent-ion consists in the novel features of construction and I,combinations of elements hereinafter 2o described.

considered to exhibit the best mode of .ap-

lying the invention in practice. rlhis em- 'liodiment is shown in'the annexed drawings, and referring now thereto, Figure 1 shows the complete machine in side Fig. 2 -is a front View with the front of the casing removed, to show the film-feeding mechanism. Fig. 3 is a rear view. Fig. 4 is a vertical section, on

line lVlVlof Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views, on substantially the same plane as Fig. 4, but with various parts of the mechanism omitted. Fig. 7 is a de'-v tail view of an element of the mechanism employed to advance and retract the'pins 4Q b which the forward feed of the films'is e ected. Fig. 8 is a detail horizontal section on line VHF-VMI of Fig. 3, showing the position of the feeding pins with respect to the films while the latter are being fed forward.

rthe feeding and exposing devices are conveniently mounted in or upon p a suitable casing 1, on top of which is a standard 2 carrying an upper reel or spool 3 from 5U which the unexposed positive film 3a is drawn, and a lower reel or spool 4 from whichthe negative film 4a is drawn. lnst-ead of employing means for maintaining a loop of film between the supply reels and Specification of Letters Patent. Application led December 3, 1909. Serial No.l 531,154.

I Patented July 9, 1912.

I prefer to have the films slightly tautl and for that purpose provide a pair of tensioning idlers 5, 6, on arms 7, 8, pivoted to the standard 2. The arms are drawn yieldingly apart by two light springs 9, 10', and the films ass under the lower idle roller and over t e upper, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The rollers are preferably covered with velvet or equivalent material so as to take a light grip on the films wit-hout injuring their delicate surfaces.

In the front wall of the casing is a light aperture 11, encircled by a forwardly extending hood 12. The machine is intended to be used in a darkroom, and is arranged with this hood in register with a window or opening in the dark room wall. Outside of the dark room is the source ofA light, for example an incandescent electric lamp 1?, which may be conveniently carried on a bar 14 slidably mounted on the base 15 of' the machine and entering through a suitable aperture in the dark room wall, not shown. The effective intensity of the lightI can therefore be varied as desired by advancing or retracting the adjustable support 14 to Vary the distanceV of the source of light from the point of exposure.

Extending from the lightl aperture 11 to the rear wall 16 of the casing is a rectangular chamber 17 in which is mounted the shutter for cutting` off the light except during the periods of exposure. The preferred form of shutter is of the eyelid type, comprising two plates or lids 18, 1S), pivoted at the top and bottom of the chamber between two triangular side plates one of which is shown at 20 in Fig. 6. The pivots or rods 21, 22, to which the shutter lids are .attached by their rear ends, are provided with fingers 23, 24, at one side of the chamber 17. These fingers cross, as shown, and are engaged in the rear by a pin 25 eX- tend-ing laterally from an operating member in the form of a vertical rod 26, and in front by a similar pin 27 on a spring arm 28 mounted on said rod. The latter is carried by a horizontal lever 29 (Fig. 2) fulcrumed on a vertical guide-rod 30 at the opposite side of the machine. A spring 31, fastened to the front wall of the casing, bears against the rod 26 4and urges the same rearwardly thereby causing the pin 27 to swing the fingers 23, 24, to the rear, closing the shutter lids down upon the trian lar side plates and cutting 0E the light. The

the closing of the shutter with a solute certainty, and the spring 28, on whlch the 'closing pin 27 is carried, by 'yielding permits the rod 26 to move rearwardly past the position. at which the shutter is closed. At proper intervals the rod 26 is advanced by a cam 32 on a rotatin shaft 33, as more fully described hereina ter. This movement of the rod causes the pin 25 to swing the fingers 23, 24, forward, thereby opening the shutter.

The shutter and its actuating mechanism, described above, `are simple in construction but are thoroughly effect-ive for their purpose and operate with the utmost precision.

From the tensioning roller 5 the negative filmpasses under and the positive over a clamping gate or bar 34 hinged to the rear wall of the machine at one side thereof and carrying a pair of flat springs 35 which bear on the sides of the negative film andhold the same against the wall of the casing with light pressure so as to prevent any looseness or slack in the lm below the clamp. The clamping bar is held in operative position by a button 36 engaging its free end.

From the clamp 34 the films pass the point of exposure, atthe rear end of the chamber 17, in which is mounted a rectangular frame or mask 36 the internal dimensions of which are exactly those which the photographic image on the position film is to have. Immediately behind the`mask is a film supporting plate 38, preferably of polished ruby g1 ass, the forward surface of which is cylindrical and of any suitable curvature. port or carrier'39, hinged at one side of the machine and held in its forward position by a spring-pressed bolt or latch 40. The mask 36 has its rear face concaved, as shown, in conformity with the curvature of the back plate 38, and the parts are so proportioned as to leave between the two a space equal to three thicknesses of the film. A space equal to two thicknesses would ordinarily be sufficient, butsometimes a lm must be spliced, and provision is therefore made for the extra thickness. Above and below the mask or frame 36 are two idle rollers 41, 42, journaled in the sides of the chamber 17. The rollers and mask are pref.

erably arranged as shown in Fig. 4, with the rollers tangent both to the curved surface (produced) of the mask and to the flat surface of the rear wall 43 of the machine, above and below the light chamber 17. This arrangement is advantageous in avoiding sharp bends in the film, as the bends which it undergoes in passing over the rollers are no sharper than the curvature of the rollers themselves. The ruby glass back plate or film support is an important feature, as its capacity of absorbing actinic rays practi- This plate is mounted in a supcally overcomes fogging and halation of the'positive -ilm by light striking it from the rear.

In passing over the back plate 38 the curved surface thereof bulges-.the films forward and thereby bringsythe positive film into close and even contactwith the negative film throughout their entire engaging surfaces, and thus insures the sharpest possible definition in the printing.

The step-by-step film-feeding and the shutter-operating mechanism, is arranged in the casing 1 below the light chamber 17, and is actuated by the shaft 33, before mentioned, which is rotated continuously by any suitable means, as for example a crank disk 44. The feed of the films is directly effected by a vertically reciprocating fork 45 the arms of which are spaced apart'by a distance equal to the space between the rows of sprocket holes at the edges of the films, and each arm is provided with one or more pins 46, preferably two, to project through the sprocket holes and fit the saine accurately. The holes in the positive and negative films are thus brought into register and the films accurately justified. These pins project through vertical slots 47 in the rear wall -16 and beyond the films extend into vertical grooves 48 in the forward face of a gate or plate 49 hinged at the side of the machine. The gate serves to hold the films close to the rear Wall, and is heldin operative position by a spring bolt 50 similar to bolt 40.

The film-feeding fork 45 is carried at the upper end of a vertical supporting member 51 mounted at its lower end on a transverse pin or rod 52 one end of which extends into a vertical slotted guide 53 while the other end extends into the lower end of a rod 54 mounted to reciprocate vertically in suitable bearings 54, 55. On the side of the rod 55 next to the driving shaft 33 is a plate 56' (Fig. 7) having a transverse slot 57, into which extends a crank pin 58 carried by a crank 59 on the endl of said shaft. The path of the center of the crank pin is indicated by the broken-line circle 60, Fig. 7, and the parts are so proportioned thatthe reciprocatory travel of the rod 53 and fork 45, produced by the agency of the slotted member 56 and the crank 59, will be just equal to the distance between the centers of successive pictures on the films.

In addition to its vertical movement Ithe fork 45 is capable of limited oscillation about the pin 52 as a pivot, but is urged rearwardly by a coil spring 61 mounted on the pin 52 and by a vertical lever 62 fulcrumed at its lower end and pressed rearwardly by a flat spring 63. At the top the lever carries an antifriction roller 64 bearing on the fork-supporting bar 51. The

forward swing of the fork 45, to carry the feeding movement of the pinsl is effected by a cam 65 (Fig. 5) on the 'driving shaft 33, the cam being of sufficient radial and angular extent to hold the pins out of engage-V ment with the films only during the upward movement of the pins.

Beginning with the'pins tin the position ofl Fig. 5, and with the cam rotating in the `direction of the arrow adjacent thereto, 4the cam first releases the fork-supporting meniber 51, whereupon the spring 61 and lever 62 throw the member 51 and pins 46 rearward, bringing the latter into engagement. with the films, as in Fig. 4. At this time the crank 59, at its uppermost position, begins to descend, drawing down the rod 53, member 51, fork and pins 4G, as previously described, and producing a downward movement of the two films through a space equal to the width of a picture. During this movement the shutter in the shutter chamber 17 is closed, but on completion, of the movement the cam 32 on the driving shaft engages the shutter-operating member 26, throwing the same forward-and opening member backward and closes the shutter.l

In the meantime, while the shutter is open and the fork 45 is at its lowermost position the cam 65 again comes into engagement with the fork-supporting member 51` and swings the same forward, carrying the filmy feeding pins out of the film-holes; whereupon the ascending movement of the crank 59 raises the pin-fork again to t-he position shown in Fig. 5.

Since the films are exposed to the light while the feeding pins 46 are disengaged, any displacement of eitlierfilm with respect to the other, as might occur if the two were allowedto hang loosely below the point of exposure, would impair the definition of the positive. To eliminate the possibility of such displacement a pressure clutch member 66 is provided, (see Fig. 5), in the form of a long narrow plate, working in a similarly shaped-aperture in the rear wall 43 immediatelyin front of the gate 49, and adapted to press the two films together against the gate. The clutch member is suspended in place by a pin 67 projecting from its forward face and extending loosely into an actuating plate 68,suspended loosely from its upper end on a screw 69 which affords a pivotal support for the plate. In

front ofthe latter, on the shaft 33, is a cam 70, arranged to engage the actuating. plate 68 and hence carry the clutch member 66 back against the films. This cam is on the side of the shaft opposite to the cam 65, which withdraws the pins 46 from the film-holes, and the angular extentof the clutch cam is such that 'it will cause the clutch to engage-the film a little in advance of the withdrawal of the pins and will keep thefilm engaged until the pins are ready to begin their downward (and feeding) At this time the clutch cam,

movement. moves out of engagement with the actuating plate and vallows the clutch to swing forward of its own weight and release the film.

It'is of course desirable that the films suffer no lateral displacement such as would bring the photographic images too near or cause them to overlap the sprocket holes, and to prevent such displacement the back wall 43 is provided with two guides 71 on opposite sides of the path of the films, forming a channel just wide enough to permitthe films to pass easily. It is also dcsirable that the pictures on the negative film be in accurate vertical register with the mask or frame 36, and to permit adjustment withrespect to the mask whenever necessary in order to maintain such register all the film-feeding devices, including the shaft 33, which are located in the lower part of the casing below the shutter chamber 17, ai'e mounted on a plate or carrier 72. The latter is capable of vertical adjustment on two rods or guides one of which is thc rod 30 to which the shutter-operating member 29 is pivoted. The other is shown at 73, and is rotatably mounted in a bearing 74 'on the rear wall 43. The lower end of the rod 73 is enlarged, as at 75, to form a supporting shoulder for the carrier 72, and screws into a lug 7G below said carrier. At its top the rod has a milled head or knob 77, by which it may be screwed into or outof the lug mentioned. Thispvertical movement of the adjusting rod of course produces a corresponding adjustment of the film-feeding devices; and it is cle-ar that if the feed pins are in engagement. with the film, or films as the case may be., the latter will be correspondingly shifted with respect to t-he mask 36. The shutter should be open during this operation, so that the operator, looking through the glass film support 3S, can make the adjustment accurately; but, as will be remembered, the shutter is normallyY closed while the feed-pins are in their rearward posit-ion and in ,engagement with the films. Means for opening the shutter whenever desired are provided, as for example a plunger or rod 78, normally retracted by ya coil-spring 79 and having its forward end close to or in cont-act with the. shutter-op- @rating member 26, as shown in Fig .1

iio

if 'p stead of the positive.

Forward movement pf this plunger, under.

the ressure of the finger, advances the mem er 26, which opens the shutter as reviously described. The operator can t en observe the position of the picture and effect such adjustment by means of the adjustlng rod 73 as may be necessary.

""As before stated, the feeding ins 46 are shaped to fit accurately the holes 1n the sides of the two films, with the result that if the films are not accurately positioned with respect to each other one or the other or both will be shifted slightly as the pins move into the holes, Assuming that the spacing of the holes in the negative is too short, it is evident that any inaccuracy of its position relative to the positive should be corrected by adjustment or shifting of the negative in- But since only the negative film is held by the springs 35-on the tension clamp 34 at the top of the casing, it may happen that the positive film may move by adhesion to the negative and hencel cause inaccurate spacing of the images on the former. To prevent such occurrence a separate ,clamp may be provided for the positive, so that the same will be held independently of the negative while the feed pins are entering the sprocket holes. A clam for this purpose is shown at 80, Figs.

3 an 4, pivoted to the clamp 34 and held in operative position by a latch or button 8l. The positive may then be passed between the t-woclamps, in which case it is pressed lightly against the back of clamp 34 by two springs 82 carried by the other. The force of these springs may be made sufficient to prevent any movement of the positive film by the feed pins except when the negative is accurately positioned with respect to the` pins.

After leaving the pressure clutch 66 the films may pass through a slot 83 in the base of the machine into a receptacle or box 84, Where they may be received upon a suitable take-up reel (not shown) with or without the maintenance of the usual loop, orthey may pass to the rear below the gate 49, as may be most convenient under the circumstances.

As the operation of the machine has been explained in connection with the description of the instrumentalities composing the apparatus further explanation in that direction is deemed unnecessary. Suffice it to say that extensive use of the machine illustrated has shown it to be thoroughly eec- `tive for its purpose, the printing being perpable of other embodiments withoutdeparture from its proper spirit and scope;

"What I clalm 1s:

l. In a photographic printing machinef the kind described having an exposure point, the combination of a support on one side of the exposure point having means for frictionally engaging a film, a second supporthaving means for frictionally engaging another film between the first and second supports, and means on the other side of the exposure point for feeding both films step by step past the exposure point.

2. In a photographic printing machine of t-he kind described, the combination of a casing having a wall provided with a light aperture, a spring clamp hinged to the wall on one side of said aperture to enga e a film with yielding pressure, a secon spring clamp hinged to the first to engage another film with yieldin pressure, and means on the other side of t e light aperture for feeding both films step by step.

3. In a 'photogra hic printing machine of the kind describedp, the combination of a shutter comprising pivoted plates, crossed operating arms connected to the plates, actu. ating me-ans engaging the arms on opposite sides at their crossing point, step-by-step film-feeding mechanism, and devices operated by the film-feeding mechanism for intermittently actuating said means.

4. In a photographic printing machine of the kind described, having a light aperture, a film support comprising a cylindrically curved plate of ruby glass arranged backof the light and arranged to bulge the film toward said aperture.

5. In a photographic printing machine of the kind described having a light aperture, in combination, a film support comprising a cylindrically convex plate of ruby glass arranged back of t-he light aperture and adapted to bulge the film toward said aperture, and a centrally open frame carrying t-he film support and permitting inspection of the film from the rear.

6. In a photographic printing machine of the kind described, the combination of a wall over which .the films pass, said wall being provided with an aperture for exposing the films to light, a cylindrically curved mask-frame arranged in said aperture, and providing recesses on opposite sides of the mask-frame between the same and the edges of said aperture, means back of the maskframe for giving the films a corresponding curvature, and rollers over which the films pass in their movement across the said opening, said rollers'being mounted in said recesses on opposite sides of the mask-frame and tangent both to the curvature of the mask frame and to the surface of'said wall.

7. In a photographic printing machine of the combination of mechanism for feeding the films step-by-step past the light aperture, a carrier on .which said mechanism is mounted, and means for adjusting the carrier to vary the position of the feeding mechanism with respect to the light aperture.

8. YIn la photographic printing machine of the kind descnbeaa, .Wan having a iight aperture, parallel guide rods ina plane par' allel to the plane of the light aperture, a plate adjustably' mounted on the guide rods, and step by step film-feeding mechanism mounted .o n the plate.

9. In a photographic printing machine of the kind described, the combination of a vertical wall having a light aperture,.vertical guide rods adjacent to the wall, a carrier adjustably mounted on the guide rods, step-bystep film-feeding mechanism mounted on -the carrier, and means connected to one of the guide rods and actuated by rot-ation of the same to adjust the carrier on the rods.

l0. In a photographic printing machine of the kind described, t-he combination of a casing having a vertical wall provided with an opening for the passage of light, step-bystep film-feeding mechanism within the casing belowvthe said opening, a vertically adjustable carrier on which said' mechanism is mounted, and a screw rod connected with the carrier to adjust the same and extending upwardly to the exterior of the casing.

11. In a photographic printing machine of the kind described, the combination of a wall over which the films pass, said wall being provided with an opening for exposing the films to light, nlm-feeding mechanlsm al; ternatelyengaging and releasing the films on one side of the exposure opening, a clutch plate mounted in said Wall on the same side of the exposure opening, and means actuating the clutch plate to hold the filmsstatiom ary while they are disengaged from the feeding mechanism.

12. In a photog'jfraphic printing machine of the kind described, the combinatidn of a vertically extending member, a vertically reciprocating support on which the lower end of said memberis pivoted,` a film-engaging device carried on the upper end of said member, a cam arranged to. oscillate said member in one direction, yielding means en' o gaging the member to oscillate the 'same in the opposite direction, a shaft on' which the cam is, mounted, andmeans actu-ated by the shaft for reciprocating said support.

13. In a photo raphic printing machine of the kind described, the combination of a vertical wall having an opening for exposing the films to light and provided with a pair of vertical slots below said opening, a fork having hlm-engaging pins coacting with the slots, a pivoted sup-porting member for the fork, means for oscillating the supporting member to advance and retract the fork, whereby to alternately engage and release the films and means for reciprocating the supporting member vertically.

14. In a photographic printing machine of the kind described, the combination of a reciprocating film-feeding member, a pivoted support therefor, a reciprocating rod connected with said member to actuate the same, a plate carried by the /rod and pro. vided with a transverse slot, a driving shaft having a crank engaging the said slot whereby the rotation of the shaft will reciprocatel the ivilmfeeding member, and means for swinging the film-feeding member on its pivoted support to engage and releasethe film.

l5. In a photographic printing machine of the kind described, the combination of an .oscillatory film feeding member, yielding means urging the`member in' one direction, and a cam for. swlnglng the member 1n the Vopposite direction.

16. In a photographic printing machine of the kind described, the combination kof a forkV having pins adapted to engage film sprocket-holes, a'supporting member for the fork pivoted to oscillate forwardly and rear- Wardly,l mechanism for oscillating and reciprocating the supporting member, a'a movable clutch plate adapted to engage the films, and means for actuating the clutch `,plate tocause the same to engage the film during the forward oscillationvof the supporting member and fork.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EBERHARD SCHNEIDER. Witnesses:

S. S. DUNHAM, M. LAWSON DYER. 

